In the Orne, the winter cold changes from one area to the next. One winter in ten, it falls to about −10 °C in the Orne part of the Pays d'Auge, −12 °C in the bocage (small fields and hedges) of Flers and Domfront, −13 °C in the Perche and around Alençon, and −14 °C around L'Aigle.
We went through thirty winters of Météo-France records, from 1996 to 2026, and compared them with the hardiness of each of our plants. Choose your area below. You will find:
- the citrus trees that spend the winter outdoors without protection;
- those that need a fleece on frosty nights;
- those that stay in a pot.
The lists are kept up to date: only the plants available today are shown with a photo.
- −5 °C or milder
- −6 to −7 °C
- −8 to −9 °C
- −10 to −11 °C
- −12 to −13 °C
- −14 to −15 °C
- −16 to −17 °C
- −18 to −19 °C
- −20 °C and colder
Colour: the cold of one winter in ten, on the plain. Click on a neighbouring département to see its page. Map of the whole of France.
Choose your area:
−10 °Cone winter in ten
Orne part of the Pays d'Auge
Vimoutiers, Gacé, Camembert, Ticheville
See the citrus trees for this area
The mildest corner of the département. A single station, Ticheville (225 m), near Vimoutiers, serves as a reference: −10 °C one winter in ten, −7 °C in an ordinary winter. Satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter outdoors here; orange trees and clementines need a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall. Lemon trees stay in pots. The soils often stay wet in winter: plant on a mound.
Ticheville
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has soils waterlogged part of the year, silty soils and ordinary brown soils. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet and clayey.
Rootstocks to favour: Poncirus, then FA5.
Your plot may be different. Look at the Géoportail soil map (in French) around your home, then refine with our 5-step test.
In open ground, without protection
They withstand −10 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.
-
Satsuma China S-2
down to −12 °C · €41.00
-
Ermelo Orange
down to −10 °C · €47.00
-
Changsha Mandarin
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
Changshan Huyou
down to −11 °C · €38.00
-
Sudachi Seneca
down to −12 °C · €42.00
-
Yuzu 3
down to −15 °C · €38.00
-
Fukushu Kumquat
down to −10 °C · €32.30
-
Morton Citrange
down to −15 °C · €35.00
See all 32 available plants that withstand −10 °C
Sold out for now: 27 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Ambersweet, Auline, Bendizao Mandarin, Corsican Mountain Orange, Hana Yuzu, Harumi, Jabara, Juanita Mandarin, Kino Kuni Mikakukishu Mandarin, Meiwa Kumquat, Minneola, Nameiwa Kumquat, Rio Red Grapefruit, Sanbokan, Satsuma China S-3, Satsuma Dobashi Beni, Satsuma Iwasaki, Satsuma Kowano, Satsuma Louisiana, Satsuma Miho, Satsuma Pucheng, Satsuma Saigon, Satsuma Waze, Setubalense Mandarin, Shunkokan, Thornless Yuzu, Yuzu.
In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights
They withstand −7 °C. A winter fleece put on at each frost and removed as soon as the frost stops, and a sheltered spot against a south-facing wall.
-
Fukumoto Orange
down to −8 °C · €35.00
-
Clemenules Clementine
down to −9 °C · €35.00
-
Marsh Seedless Grapefruit
down to −9 °C · €29.75
-
Kabosu
down to −9 °C · €38.00
-
Orisa 9 Tangor
down to −9 °C · €41.00
-
Yuko
down to −9 °C · €38.00
-
Tavares Limequat
down to −7 °C · €29.75
-
Cara Cara Orange
down to −8 °C · €35.00
See all 33 available plants that withstand −7 °C
Sold out for now: 19 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Dom Joao Orange, Fragola Orange, Haruka, Hassaku, Hyuganatsu, Iyo Mikan Tangor, Mandalate Mandarin, Mapo Tangelo, Moro Orange, Natsudaidai, Ota 38 Tangor, Salustiana Orange, Sciara x Clem Blood Tangor, Seminole, US SuperNa, Ugli, Vaniglia Sanguigno Orange, Wekiwa Tangelolo, Z194 Ichangensis x Sinensis.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −7 °C): in a large pot, outdoors from spring to autumn and brought into a bright, frost-free room for the winter. All our citrus trees.
−12 °Cone winter in ten
Orne bocage, Flers and Domfront
Flers, Domfront, La Ferté-Macé, Bagnoles-de-l'Orne, Tinchebray, Briouze, Passais
See the citrus trees for this area
The west of the département, with more rain: −12 °C one winter in ten, −7 °C in an ordinary winter. Valley floors freeze harder: one winter in ten, Bagnoles-de-l'Orne falls to −13.5 °C, Saint-Bômer-les-Forges to −10.7 °C. Citranges, yuzus and the hardiest satsumas spend the winter outdoors here; the other satsumas, kumquats and the hardiest clementines need a fleece. Lemon trees, orange trees and the other clementines stay in pots. On these rather acid soils, often wet in winter, take care of drainage.
Flers
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, soils waterlogged part of the year and silty soils. In practice, the soil is often acid, silty and winter-wet.
Rootstocks to favour: Poncirus, then 4475.
Your plot may be different. Look at the Géoportail soil map (in French) around your home, then refine with our 5-step test.
In open ground, without protection
They withstand −12 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.
-
Satsuma China S-2
down to −12 °C · €41.00
-
Changsha Mandarin
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
Sudachi Seneca
down to −12 °C · €42.00
-
Yuzu 3
down to −15 °C · €38.00
-
Morton Citrange
down to −15 °C · €35.00
-
Clemyuz
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
Eremorange
down to −12 °C · €35.00
-
Satsuma Owari FS
down to −12 °C · €42.00
See all 17 available plants that withstand −12 °C
Sold out for now: 11 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Ambersweet, Auline, Bendizao Mandarin, Hana Yuzu, Satsuma Dobashi Beni, Satsuma Kowano, Satsuma Louisiana, Satsuma Saigon, Satsuma Waze, Thornless Yuzu, Yuzu.
In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights
They withstand −9 °C. A winter fleece put on at each frost and removed as soon as the frost stops, and a sheltered spot against a south-facing wall.
-
Satsuma Miyagawa
down to −10 °C · €38.00
-
Ermelo Orange
down to −10 °C · €47.00
-
Shekwasha
down to −11 °C · €34.85
-
Changshan Huyou
down to −11 °C · €38.00
-
Kinkoji
down to −10 °C · €38.00
-
Orisa 9 Tangor
down to −9 °C · €41.00
-
Yuko
down to −9 °C · €38.00
-
Fukushu Kumquat
down to −10 °C · €32.30
See all 21 available plants that withstand −9 °C
Sold out for now: 20 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Corsican Mountain Orange, Haruka, Harumi, Hyuganatsu, Jabara, Juanita Mandarin, Kino Kuni Mikakukishu Mandarin, Mapo Tangelo, Meiwa Kumquat, Minneola, Nameiwa Kumquat, Natsudaidai, Rio Red Grapefruit, Sanbokan, Satsuma China S-3, Satsuma Iwasaki, Satsuma Miho, Satsuma Pucheng, Setubalense Mandarin, Shunkokan.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −9 °C): in a large pot, outdoors from spring to autumn and brought into a bright, frost-free room for the winter. All our citrus trees.
−13 °Cone winter in ten
Perche
Mortagne-au-Perche, Bellême, Longny-au-Perche, Rémalard, Nocé, Le Theil
See the citrus trees for this area
Wooded hills, with soils that are often wet in winter: −13 °C one winter in ten, −8 °C in an ordinary winter. Hollows freeze harder: one winter in ten, Longny-au-Perche (170 m) falls to −14.5 °C, Saint-Hilaire-le-Châtel (242 m) to −11.0 °C. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors here; the other yuzus, satsumas and kumquats need a fleece at each frost. Orange trees, clementines and lemon trees stay in pots.
Longny-au-Perche
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has soils waterlogged part of the year, shallow chalky soils and thin acid soils. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet and acid.
Rootstocks to favour: Poncirus, then FA5.
Your plot may be different. Look at the Géoportail soil map (in French) around your home, then refine with our 5-step test.
In open ground, without protection
They withstand −13 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.
In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights
They withstand −10 °C. A winter fleece put on at each frost and removed as soon as the frost stops, and a sheltered spot against a south-facing wall.
-
Satsuma China S-2
down to −12 °C · €41.00
-
Ermelo Orange
down to −10 °C · €47.00
-
Changsha Mandarin
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
Changshan Huyou
down to −11 °C · €38.00
-
Sudachi Seneca
down to −12 °C · €42.00
-
Ichang Lemon Shangyuan
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
Fukushu Kumquat
down to −10 °C · €32.30
-
US 119
down to −12 °C · €35.00
See all 27 available plants that withstand −10 °C
Sold out for now: 25 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Ambersweet, Auline, Bendizao Mandarin, Corsican Mountain Orange, Harumi, Jabara, Juanita Mandarin, Kino Kuni Mikakukishu Mandarin, Meiwa Kumquat, Minneola, Nameiwa Kumquat, Rio Red Grapefruit, Sanbokan, Satsuma China S-3, Satsuma Dobashi Beni, Satsuma Iwasaki, Satsuma Kowano, Satsuma Louisiana, Satsuma Miho, Satsuma Pucheng, Satsuma Saigon, Satsuma Waze, Setubalense Mandarin, Shunkokan, Thornless Yuzu.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −10 °C): in a large pot, outdoors from spring to autumn and brought into a bright, frost-free room for the winter. All our citrus trees.
−13 °Cone winter in ten
Alençon, Sées and the Argentan plain
Alençon, Argentan, Sées, Écouché, Exmes, Le Merlerault
See the citrus trees for this area
A more open countryside, with soils that are often chalky and wet in winter: −13 °C one winter in ten, −9 °C in an ordinary winter. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors here; the other yuzus, satsumas and kumquats need a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall. The other citrus trees stay in pots. In chalky or heavy soil, plant on a mound.
Sées
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has soils waterlogged part of the year and shallow chalky soils. In practice, the soil is often chalky and winter-wet.
Rootstocks to favour: Poncirus, then FA5. Poncirus only if the active lime stays below about 5% (soil analysis).
Your plot may be different. Look at the Géoportail soil map (in French) around your home, then refine with our 5-step test.
In open ground, without protection
They withstand −13 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.
In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights
They withstand −10 °C. A winter fleece put on at each frost and removed as soon as the frost stops, and a sheltered spot against a south-facing wall.
-
Satsuma China S-2
down to −12 °C · €41.00
-
Ermelo Orange
down to −10 °C · €47.00
-
Changsha Mandarin
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
Changshan Huyou
down to −11 °C · €38.00
-
Sudachi Seneca
down to −12 °C · €42.00
-
Ichang Lemon Shangyuan
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
Fukushu Kumquat
down to −10 °C · €32.30
-
US 119
down to −12 °C · €35.00
See all 27 available plants that withstand −10 °C
Sold out for now: 25 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Ambersweet, Auline, Bendizao Mandarin, Corsican Mountain Orange, Harumi, Jabara, Juanita Mandarin, Kino Kuni Mikakukishu Mandarin, Meiwa Kumquat, Minneola, Nameiwa Kumquat, Rio Red Grapefruit, Sanbokan, Satsuma China S-3, Satsuma Dobashi Beni, Satsuma Iwasaki, Satsuma Kowano, Satsuma Louisiana, Satsuma Miho, Satsuma Pucheng, Satsuma Saigon, Satsuma Waze, Setubalense Mandarin, Shunkokan, Thornless Yuzu.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −10 °C): in a large pot, outdoors from spring to autumn and brought into a bright, frost-free room for the winter. All our citrus trees.
−14 °Cone winter in ten
L'Aigle and the Pays d'Ouche
L'Aigle, Rai, Moulins-la-Marche, Crulai, Saint-Sulpice-sur-Risle
See the citrus trees for this area
The coldest corner of the département: −14 °C one winter in ten, −9 °C in an ordinary winter. Beaulieu falls to −16.0 °C one winter in ten and recorded −17.5 °C in February 2012. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors here; the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas with a fleece at each frost. Keep the other citrus trees in pots. The soils often stay wet in winter: plant on a mound.
Beaulieu
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has soils waterlogged part of the year, silty soils and thin acid soils. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet, silty and clayey.
Rootstocks to favour: Poncirus, then FA5.
Your plot may be different. Look at the Géoportail soil map (in French) around your home, then refine with our 5-step test.
In open ground, without protection
They withstand −14 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.
In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights
They withstand −11 °C. A winter fleece put on at each frost and removed as soon as the frost stops, and a sheltered spot against a south-facing wall.
-
Satsuma China S-2
down to −12 °C · €41.00
-
Changsha Mandarin
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
Changshan Huyou
down to −11 °C · €38.00
-
Sudachi Seneca
down to −12 °C · €42.00
-
Ichang Lemon Shangyuan
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
US 119
down to −12 °C · €35.00
-
Clemyuz
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
Eremorange
down to −12 °C · €35.00
See all 14 available plants that withstand −11 °C
Sold out for now: 10 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Ambersweet, Auline, Bendizao Mandarin, Satsuma Dobashi Beni, Satsuma Kowano, Satsuma Louisiana, Satsuma Miho, Satsuma Saigon, Satsuma Waze, Thornless Yuzu.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −11 °C): in a large pot, outdoors from spring to autumn and brought into a bright, frost-free room for the winter. All our citrus trees.
Readings from the Météo-France stations (winters 1996-1997 to 2025-2026)
| Station | Altitude | Ordinary winter | One winter in ten | Record | Winters at −9 °C or below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint-Fraimbault | 158 m | −6.2 °C | −11.3 °C | −13.6 °C (26 January 2007) | 7 out of 30 |
| Alençon | 143 m | −6.8 °C | −13.3 °C | −13.9 °C (2 January 1997) | 9 out of 30 |
| La Fresnaye-au-Sauvage | 229 m | −6.9 °C | −12 °C | −13 °C (11 February 2012) | 10 out of 29 |
| Ticheville | 225 m | −7 °C | −9.7 °C | −12 °C (7 January 2009) | 6 out of 29 |
| Saint-Bômer-les-Forges | 226 m | −7.2 °C | −10.7 °C | −11.6 °C (29 December 2005) | 9 out of 29 |
| Saint-Hilaire-le-Châtel | 242 m | −7.3 °C | −11 °C | −12.1 °C (12 February 2012) | 5 out of 23 |
| Bellême | 168 m | −7.7 °C | −11 °C | −15.1 °C (7 February 2012) | 6 out of 29 |
| Sées | 195 m | −7.9 °C | −12.7 °C | −14.9 °C (2 January 1997) | 9 out of 22 |
| Préaux-du-Perche | 133 m | −8 °C | −14 °C | −16 °C (7 February 2012) | 12 out of 24 |
| Ri | 212 m | −8.5 °C | −12.5 °C | −12.8 °C (2 January 1997) | 8 out of 20 |
| Bagnoles-de-l'Orne | 151 m | −8.5 °C | −13.5 °C | −15 °C (26 January 2007) | 14 out of 30 |
| L'Aigle | 232 m | −8.6 °C | −12.7 °C | −15.4 °C (11 February 2012) | 12 out of 29 |
| Longny-au-Perche | 170 m | −8.6 °C | −14.5 °C | −17 °C (9 February 2012) | 11 out of 22 |
| Flers | 195 m | −8.7 °C | −12.9 °C | −15 °C (26 January 2007) | 12 out of 29 |
| Le Pin-au-Haras (INRAE) | 202 m | −8.9 °C | −13.6 °C | −14.7 °C (7 January 2009) | 15 out of 30 |
| Argentan | 170 m | −9.2 °C | −12.9 °C | −14.7 °C (2 January 1997) | 16 out of 30 |
| Beaulieu | 217 m | −10 °C | −16 °C | −17.5 °C (11 February 2012) | 16 out of 24 |
“Ordinary winter”: half of the winters go colder, the other half less cold. “One winter in ten”: this cold is reached or exceeded in about one winter in ten. Calculations by the Greffeur d'agrumes nursery.
How to read these figures
The hardiness given on our product pages is the cold that an adult, healthy and hardened citrus tree withstands during a short frost. We compare it with the cold that comes back about one winter in ten: a plant listed “without protection” withstands at least that cold. In harsher winters, about three in thirty, keep a winter fleece ready for the coldest nights.
Very harsh winters are still possible. In February 2012, Beaulieu fell to −17.5 °C and Longny-au-Perche to −17.0 °C. On 26 January 2007, Flers and Bagnoles-de-l'Orne had recorded −15.0 °C. Such cold can burn the leaves or a few shoots of a citrus tree that is only just hardy enough. Wait for spring to see what grows back before pruning.
To understand what helps a tree get through frost, read Understanding citrus hardiness.
Our advice for the Orne
- Avoid hollows. Cold air flows down and collects at the bottom of valleys and in basins. The records show it: one winter in ten, Longny-au-Perche falls to −14.5 °C, while Saint-Hilaire-le-Châtel, higher up, stops at −11.0 °C. Plant halfway up a slope or against a south-facing wall, never at the lowest point of the garden.
- Take care of drainage. In almost all of the département, the soils stay wet in winter. In heavy or chalky soil, plant on a mound.
- Choose the rootstock for your soil. Poncirus is the most cold-resistant. In chalky soil, around Alençon and Argentan, FA5 does better. Our 5-step test helps you choose: Which rootstock should you choose?
- Plant in spring, once the frosts are over. The tree then has a whole season to take root before its first winter.
- Protect young plants on nights below −5 °C during the first years. Put the winter fleece on at each frost and take it off as soon as the frost stops.
- Mulch in summer only, against drought, without the straw touching the trunk. Pull it away from the foot of the tree at the end of autumn: moisture at the collar encourages phytophthora.
Frequently asked questions
Can I plant a lemon tree in the ground in Alençon?
No. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and the countryside around Alençon falls to around −9 °C in an ordinary winter. Keep them in pots, brought in for the winter. For a sour fruit in the ground, choose Yuzu, Yuzu 3 or a hardy lemon substitute instead. You will find them in Lemons and lemon substitutes.
Which citrus trees withstand the cold best in the Orne?
The hardiest hybrids, such as citranges, withstand −15 °C, just like Yuzu and Yuzu 3: they spend the winter outdoors without protection throughout the département. The other yuzus (Yuzu 30, thornless, Tada Nishiki) withstand −12 °C: without protection in the Pays d'Auge and the bocage, with a fleece in the Perche, around Alençon and around L'Aigle. Kumquats withstand −10 °C: without protection in the Pays d'Auge, with a fleece in the bocage, the Perche and around Alençon, in pots around L'Aigle. They are brought together in Hardy citrus.
What about orange trees and clementines?
Orange trees withstand about −8 °C, clementines −7 to −9 °C. In the Orne part of the Pays d'Auge, orange trees and clementines can be grown in the ground with a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall. In the bocage, only the hardiest clementines can try it, with a fleece. Elsewhere, keep them in pots.
My town is not listed: which area should I choose?
Take the nearest area, then compare with the nearest station in the table of readings. Take off one or two degrees if you are in a hollow or at the bottom of a valley.
These figures are guidelines. Your garden may be milder or colder than the nearest station. A question about your plot? Write to us.
Sources: Météo-France, daily basic climatological data (data.gouv.fr, Licence Ouverte 2.0); near the eastern border, also the Deutscher Wetterdienst (Datenlizenz Deutschland 2.0); towns, altitudes and boundaries: INSEE, IGN (Admin Express, RGE ALTI) and geo.api.gouv.fr (Licence Ouverte); soils: dominant soil map INRAE / Gis Sol (Licence Ouverte). Topsoil lime: LUCAS, European Commission, JRC (ESDAC, Ballabio et al. 2019).